Expandable arbor



F. W. MOYNES EXPANDABLE ARBOR March 4, 1969 Filed June 27, 1967' Il/VVE/VTOR FRA/VKW Mam/Es I 3y x a lr, g7

United States Patent 3,430,882 EXPANDABLE ARBOR Frank W. Moynes, 1840Meadow Lane, Village of Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ill. 60015 Filed June27, 1967, Ser. No. 649,240 U.S. Cl. 24272 Int. C]. 1365!! 75/18 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention generally relates toexpandable arbors or core holders and manufacturing methods therefor,and it relates more particularly to a new and improved arbor which isexpandable by fluid pressure into fixed engagement with a workpiecepositioned thereon.

In order to facilitate an understanding of this invention it isdescribed hereinafter in connection with a label printing press, but itwill be understood by those skilled in the art that certain aspects ofthe invention may be used in many other applications where expandablearbors are employed.

Presses for printing labels usually include apparatus for transportingthe web or tape on which the labels are to be printed through a printingstation, and it is important that precise linear registry between thetape and the printing mechanism be maintained. Such registry becomesparticularly critical in the printing of multicolor labels. The commonpractice in the industry is to supply the tape stock in rolls wound on acylindrical tubular core, and the printed labels are generally suppliedto the user in much the same manner. Consequently, in order to insureprecise registry of the tape as it moves through the printing station,it is customar to mount the rolls of unprinted and printed tapes onaccurately controlled spindles to permit controlled feeding of the tapethrough the printing station. In the past, arbors employing mechanicallyexpandable elements have been used to lock the tape rolls to thespindles but such arbors have not been entirely satisfactory for severalreasons. For example, they are subject to operator errors whereby thecores are not always locked to the spindle when the printing operationis initiated. Also, these arbors become worn with use and sometimesloosen during a printing operation. Moreover, some of the mechanicallyexpandable arbors on the market are difiicult to operate and maintainand in many cases they are complex and expensive to manufacture.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved expandable arbor for locking a workpiece thereto.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a fluid operatedexpandable arbor which insures that the workpiece and the arbor are infixed engagement.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved expandable arbor on which a core can be quickly placed andlocked thereon.

Briefly, the above and further objects may be realized in accordancewith the present invention by providing an elongated member having aspindle connector mounted 3,439,882 Patented Mar. 4, 1969 at one end andprovided with a fluid carrying passageway extending through theconnector into the body of the member for communication throughgenerally radial passages to the surface of the member intermediate therespective ends thereof. An imperforate elastomeric sleeve is disposedover the elongated member and the end portions thereof are sealed to theend portions of the member thereby providing a sealed space between theinner wall of the sleeve and the outer wall of the elongated member intowhich the fluid carrying passageway extends. Longitudinally extending,interfitting portions of the elongated member and the sleeve areprovided so that when a pressurized fluid is supplied to the passagewayto expand the sleeve into fixed engagement with the core or the likemounted thereon, the interengaging portions prevent relative rotationalmovement between the sleeve and the elongated member. Accordingly,relative movement between the core and the spindle is prevented as longas the passageway remains pressurized.

Further objects and advantages and a better understanding of the presentinvention may be had by reference to the following detailed descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a label printing press embodying thepresent invention;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinally sectioned view of a core holder andassociated drive spindle with a core locked in place thereon;

FIGURE 3 is an end view of the device of FIG. 2 taken from the line 33and assuming the entire device to be shown therein;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2 assumingthe entire device to be shown therein; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 55 of FIG. 2 assumingthe entire device to be shown therein.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, thereis shown a printing press 10 suitable for printing labels or the like.Briefly, the printing press 10 includes a cabinet 11 having a shelf orcounter on which is mounted a control panel 13. An expandable arbor 14for receiving a row of unprinted webbing or tape 15 is mounted on acontrollably rotated spindle, not shown, and the unprinted web 16 is fedthrough a printing station 17 where the labels are printed thereon by asuitable printing mechanism. The web on which the labels have beenprinted is identified by the numeral 18 and it passes over a suitableguide post 19 and onto a take-up roll 20. The roll 20 is mounted on anexpandable arbor 22 suitably connected to a controllably driven spindle(not shown). A waste take-up roll 22 is mounted on an expandable arbor24 suitable connected to a controllably rotated spindle (not shown).

In order to assure that proper registry of the web is maintained in theprinting station and that the roll 29 is properly wound, it is importantthat the several rolls 15, 20, and 23 be rotated in accuratelycontrolled relationship to one another. Mounted within the cabinet 11 ismeans well known in the art for rotating the spindles on which the rollsare respectively mounted in this precise predetermined relationship.However, in order to make certain that the respective rolls .rotate inthis same relationship, it is necessary that the hollow cores to whichthey are secured and on which they are mounted be fixedly locked to theassociated spindles so that there is no slippage or play between thecores and the spindle.

In accordance with an important aspect of the present invention, theexpandable arbors 14, 22 and 24 are pneumatically or hydraulicallycontrolled. Preferably, expansion and contraction of the arbors 14, 22and 24 are under the control of the operator and for this purpose a pairof control buttons or the like 26, and 28, are provided on the controlpanel 13. Actuation of the button 26 controls a valve which connects apressurized fluid to the arbors which causes them to expand into lockingengagement with the cores, and actuation of the control buttons 28 ventsthe arbors to the atmosphere whereby they contract to permit removal ofthe rolls therefrom. Where desirable, or necessary, an interlock may bepro vided so that the printing operation cannot be initiated until thecontrol button 26 has been actuated to lock the cores in place on thearbors or core holders.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown an expandable arbor or coreholder and spindle assembly of the type used in the printing press ofFIG. 1. As shown, a spindle 30 is journaled in a pair of spaced apartbearings 31 and 32 respectively mounted in vertically disposed mountingplates 33 and 34. As drive gear 35 is suitably keyed to the shaft 30 andis held in place against an annular shoulder 36 by means of a nut 37threaded onto the end of the spindle. As viewed in FIG. 2, a leftwardlyfacing annular shoulder 39 on the spindle abuts the hearing 32 toprevent movement of the spindle inwardly of the cabinet and a retainingring 40 which is spring-fitted in an annular groove on the spindle abutsthe left-hand side of the bearing 31 to prevent outward movement of thespindle relative to the front wall 41 of the cabinet 11 through whichthe spindle extends. An external annular flange 43 at the front end ofthe spindle provides a retainer for a coupling nut 44 which isrotata-bly mounted on the forward end of the spindle 30. A pair oftorque transmitting lugs 46 and 47 extend axially from the forward endof the spindle and are adapted to be received in complementary recesses48 and 49 in the face of an externally threaded connector 50 on anexpandable arbor or core holder 52' As shown, with the connector member50 placed snugly against the outer face of the spindle, the nut 44 maybe tightened to secure the core holder 52 on the spindle 30.

The spindle 30 is provided with a longitudinally cen tered bore 53 whichis counterbored at 54 for conveying a pressurized fluid, such ascompressed air, to a blind hole 56 drilled in the arbor 52. A resilientO-ring 57 is received in an annular groove at the face of the spindleand is compressed between the spindle and the connector member 50 toseal the passages through the bores 53, 54 and 56 from the atmosphere.

The arbor or core holder 52 includes a substantially solid, elongatedmetallic member 60 which is integral with the connector 50 and intowhich the hole 56 extends. A plurality of radial holes 61 and 62 extendfrom the center hole 56 to the surface of the member 60 at locationssubstantially disposed from the ends thereof. A pair of alignedlongitudinal grooves 63 and 64 are provided in the surface of the member60 and a similar set of grooves are provided in the surfacediametrically opposite to the grooves 63 and 64. Mounted over the member60 is an elastomeric sleeve 66 which is sealably bonded at itsrespective ends to the portion of the member 60. The sleeve 66 isprovided with a plurality of ribs 68 and 69 which are complementary toand are received in the grooves 63 and 64 so as to prevent relativerotation between the central portions of the sleeve 66 and the member60.

In manufacturing the arbor 52 it has been found desirable to mold thesleeve 66 of a thermoformable plastic such, for example, as a polyetherurethane of the type sold by Du Pout under the trade name Adibrenedirectly on the member 60. A good sealable bond between the sleeve andthe end portions of the member 60 may be achieved by machining orotherwise providing fine threads 70 on the ends of the member 60. Priorto the molding operation, the entire surface portion of the member 60intermediate the threads 70 is coated with a release agent so that afterthe sleeve 66 has been molded on the member 60 the central portionsthereof are readily separable from the mating parts of the member 60.However, a good seal and bond is provided at the locations of thethreads '70. After the plastic has set, the outer surface of the sleeve66 may be machined to the desired dimen- 81011.

In use, with the bore 53 in the spindle 30 connected to the atmospherethe sleeve 66 therefor being in an unstressed condition in relativelytight engagement with the mating surfaces of the member 60, a spoolhaving a core 72 may be readily slipped thereover. Then, pressurizedfluid such as compressed air is supplied to the bore 53 of the spindlethereby expanding the sleeve 66 into tight fitting engagement with theinner wall of the core 72. As long as the passageway 53 remainspressurized, a tight locking fit between the sleeve 66 and the core 72is maintained with no chance of slippage. Moreover, since the grooves 63and 64 and the ribs 68 and 69 have a depth which is substantiallygreater than the radial expansion of the sleeve 66 when it engages thecore 72, the interengagement between the walls of the ribs 68 and 69 andthe walls of the grooves 63 and 64 prevents relative angular movementbetween the central portions of the sleeve 66 and the member 60.

In those applications where the fluid pressure available would be suchas to rupture the sleeve 66 or break the bond between it and the member60 were the passageway 53 to be pressurized without a core being inplace on the arbor, a suitable pressure regulator valve may be connectedin the line to prevent such an occurrence.

While the present invention has been described in connection with asingle embodiment thereof, it will be understood that those skilled inthe art may make many changes and modifications without departing fromthe true spirit and scope of this invention, and therefore, it isintended in the appended claims to cover all such changes andmodifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of thisinvention.

I claim:

1. An expanding arbor for locking a core or the like on a spindle,comprising:

an elongated member having connector means provided at one end thereoffor mounting said member on a spindle,

said elongated member having a cylindrical surface,

said member having a passageway therein extending through said connectormeans for receiving fluid under pressure,

said member having at least one hole in the cylindrical surface thereofcommunicating with said passagea cylindrical elastomeric sleevepositioned over said member and sealed thereto at the ends of saidmember,

said sleeve being imperforate and having an internal diameterapproxmately equal to the external diameter of said member when saidpassageway is not pressurized,

means for supplying a fluid under pressure to said passageway, wherebyafter a core has been placed over said sleeve, pressurized fluid may besupplied between the adjacent surfaces of said member and said sleeve toexpand said sleeve into fixed engagement with said core, and

interengaging means on said elongated member and said sleeve along atleast a portion of their lengths for preventing relative rotationtherebetween when said sleeve is in the expanded condition and forpermitting relative radial motion, between the abutting surfaces of saidportions,

said interengaging means on said elongated member and said sleeveincluding at least one longituidnally extending groove in thecylindrical surface of said said sleeve is formed of a polyetherurethane and is molded directly onto said cylindrical member.

5. The invention according to claim 1 wherein:

said fluid is air.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,289,519 7/ 1942 Randall 242722,697,563 12/1954 Miller. 2,711,863 6/1955 Grettoe 24272 3,108,75710/1963 Williams 24272 NATHAN L. MINTZ, Primary Examiner.

